BUSINESSES and charities are being called upon to apply for the latest in a series of grants to help with costs and loss of income during the coronavirus lockdown.
Grants of £5,000 can be claimed by a range of shops, charities and places of worship which have been badly hit by the lockdown conditions.
Those eligible in the latest round of business grant funding include:
- Small and micro non-essential retail businesses that do not pay rates directly to the council, are required by law to close and have relatively high fixed business costs such as rent.
- Small and micro essential retail businesses in the city centre and within the inner ring road that have not received other grants (with larger grants for higher rateable values)
- Charities with offices and premises with relatively high fixed property costs, such as rent, and which have lost at least 40 percent of their usual income due to the pandemic.
- Places of public worship with defined and separate community facilities that have lost at least 40 percent of their usual income from premises hire due to the pandemic.
Full eligibility criteria and other details are available at Leicester City Council’s website, here.
The council has already been able to contact many eligible businesses directly to ensure they claim the financial help that is available, but is also reminding others who may be able to claim, to do so.
In particular, any public-facing businesses legally required to close which have not already claimed grants should do so as soon as possible.
Leicester City Mayor Peter Soulsby said: “Almost a year of various lockdown conditions has affected businesses across the city in many different ways, and the packages of financial help have provided some much-needed support to people at such as hard time.
“I’d urge businesses to check whether they are eligible and make sure they claim the help to which they are entitled.”
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